Thailand has a long history of producing champions in the sweet science, especially in the lower weight classes. Names such as Khaosai Galaxy, Chatchai Sasakul, Pongsaklek Wonjongkam and Veeraphol Sahapromm, to name a few, were all dominant champions in their eras. Thailand currently has one world champion, reigning WBA strawweight titleholder Thammanoon Niyomtrong, who goes by the alias Knockout CP Freshmart (24-0, 9 KOs). 

Things might have slowed down in the boxing scene in Thailand, but they’re quickly picking up, with shows happening nearly every week. However, there seems to be one problem: The matchups aren’t up to par. A typical matchup could have an undefeated prospect against a journeyman on a losing streak, with spectators focused on their phones rather than the actual fight itself. That says a lot.

That seemed to change over the weekend as the third round of “The Fighter” took place in Bangkok, the event promoted by Taweesin Laosuwanwat of TL Promotions. The Fighter looks to take rising prospects and match them up early on in their careers, fighting regularly over the course of a few months, with the winner eventually fighting a ranked boxer and then having a shot at the WBA Asia title. 

I talked with Laosuwanwat, who said this about his event: “To make it easy, I try to get new prospects to fight each other every month. If you win this month, you will fight again next month. It’s not really a tournament style, but if you win today, I will select the next opponent for you. For example, if you win five times in a row, I will let you fight a ranked boxer. If you get past that test, I will let you fight for a belt like the WBA Asia title.

“If you saw this competition today, you would have realized it’s different. You can be from anywhere; you can be Thai, you can be Chinese — the scoring will be clean and fair for everyone. If you saw today, the scoring was fair for everyone, and this competition is for everyone and all nationalities.”

When asked if we will be seeing the next world champion emerge from his show, he said, “That’s what I hope for. In Thailand, there’s a lot of young talented Muay Thai fighters, and many want an opportunity. This is a chance for them to test themselves in the sport of boxing. This gives them the chance to come and try. If they like it, they can continue; if not, they can go back to Muay Thai. I hope this competition gathers more fighters to come here, and we might see the next world champion.”

The show did not disappoint, with four fights — each four rounds of three minutes — that featured non-stop action and two major upsets. One of the boxers on the fight card was 25-year-old prospect Chaiyapruk Chainikom (8-1, 4 KOs) of Thailand, who goes by the nickname “Boss.” The talented southpaw, popular in the boxing scene, had his second appearance in The Fighter last month, putting on a dominant performance and defeating the Thai national amateur boxing champion by split decision. This time, he defeated kickboxer Xiaosong Zhang (0-1-0), scoring a knockdown and dominating the fight in a one-sided beatdown. 

I spoke to Chaiyapruk about his goals and what’s next: “My goal for this tournament is to test my skills against other skilled boxers from the country. I want to get TV exposure and get famous in Thailand, grabbing an Asian title belt along the way, and we will see what’s next. To be at a world level, I need to do more work … In the meantime, I’m trying to bring back entertainment in the boxing scene in Thailand.” When asked what changes he would like to see in the boxing scene, he had this to say: “I would like to change everything from filling the venues with fight fans, not just gamblers, to relationships between fighters/promoters/gyms. After my fighting career, I would like to be a politician and change more things on the political side.”

Giuliano Fantone (left) defeated Thai social media star Supphoolphol Tipphol, aka “Joker.” (Photo by Wasim Mather)

The main event of the afternoon saw 20-year-old French prospect Giuliano Fantone (4-1-0, 2 KOs) against Popular Thai YouTuber Supphoolphol Tipphol (2-1, 1 KO), who goes by the nickname “Joker” and has built up his following by documenting his underground fights. This was Suphoolphol’s third fight in the Fighter event, having successfully made his debut in October, but it would also be his first professional loss. Fantone used his superior boxing skills to overwhelm the durable YouTuber, getting the win by UD.

All in all, “The Fighter” has shaken things up: entertaining fights with evenly matched bouts, fair judging, and opportunity for everyone. The boxers seem to be on the same page as the promoter. Mr. Laosuwanwat might be onto something great. Who knows? Maybe we will be seeing the next Thai world champion in the near future.